Ahead of the crucial UEFA Europa League clash with France, Italy national team manager Luciano Spalletti elaborated on the core topics of his team's preparations, tactical ideas and players' form in a pre-match conference.
Spalletti began by emphasizing the importance of teamwork against a strong French team. "The French team has many high-caliber players, while we can only bridge the gap through teamwork." He admitted that despite the strength of their opponents, the Italian team has already shown good form and a positive attitude through their recent training. Spalletti said he hopes to see his players show these excellent performances again in the tournament, while being prepared to deal with the difficulties.
On a tactical level, Spalletti gave an insight into the French team's guile and knack for creating the illusion of a game. "They are a crafty team and will give you the illusion that they can control the game. However, this is actually their strength." He reminded his players to remain vigilant, especially in case of confident moods on the field, to prevent being caught on the counterattack by their opponents. Spalletti emphasized the need for the team to maintain order and balance in the game in order to deal with France's wide passing and quick counter-attacks.
Speaking about his personal feelings, Spalletti said that he has learned from his previous experiences and is paying more attention to his players' willingness and professional attitude. "I try to tell them two or three things because I think it's an important profession and my job is very serious." He admits that he has started a new path at the beginning of the new season to improve the overall strength of the team by selecting new elements and incorporating new tactics.
Spalletti showed confidence and determination on how to beat France. "We are keen to address our poor performance against Switzerland and try to do better in possession management." He revealed that the team is forming a group of players from different backgrounds and styles who will work together to win.
In terms of player form, Spalletti spoke highly of core players such as Donnarumma, Tonali and Raspadoli. He praised Donnarumma as "a perfect captain" and emphasized his important role in the team. Spalletti also gave full recognition to the performance of Tornari and Raspadoli, and expects them to continue to play well in the coming matches.
In addition, Spalletti responded to questions about the non-drafting of Locatelli. He said that it was a decision based on the team's overall tactical considerations and training observations, and emphasized that Locatelli is still an important part of the team.
Finally, Spalletti looked ahead to the atmosphere of the upcoming match. "I know a lot of people will be watching this game, maybe they have criticized us before, but they are ready to embrace us with enthusiasm and support." He is confident that with the enthusiastic support of the fans, the Italian team will be able to show their best form and fight for victory.
